MBC Cancer Flashcards
Tumour?
Any kind of mass forming lesion, may be neoplastic, hamartomatous or inflammatory like nasal polyps
Neoplasm?
Autonomous growth of tissues which have escaped normal constraints on cell proliferation, can be benign or malignant
Cancers are malignant neoplasms
Hamartomas
Localised benign overgrowths of mature cells, usually architectural not cytological abnormalities
Heterotopia
Tissues found in parts of the body where they shouldn’t be found e.g pancreas in wall of large intestine
How are neoplasms classified?
Primary description is cell of origin and secondary is if it’s benign or malignant, e.g adenoma and adenocarcinoma
Teratomas?
Derived from germ cells and contain tissue from all 3 germ cell layers
4 main differences between benign and malignant neoplasms?
Invasion
Metastasis
Differentiation- how much do the tumour cells resemble the original cells of the tissue
Growth patterns- how does the architecture of the tumour resemble the architecture of the derived tissue.
Direct extension?
Associated with a stromal response to the tumour
Includes fibroplastic proliferation, vascular proliferation and an immune response
Haematogenous?
Via blood vessels, usually capillaries or venules
Most sarcomas metastasise via blood vessels
Lymphatic?
Via lymphatics to lymph nodes and pattern of spread is dictated by lymphatic drainage or organ
Most epithelial cancers metastasise first via the lymphatics
Transcoelomic
Via seeding of body cavities, e.g pleural cavities for intrathoracic cancers
Perineural
Via nerves, under-appreciated area of research
3 ways of assessing tumour spread?
Clinically
Radiologically
Pathologically, most definitive
How is tumour spread described?
- T= Tumour, size or extent of local invasion
- N= Nodes, number of lymph nodes involved
- M= Metastases, presence of distant metastases
Grade and stage?
- Grade= how differentiated is the tumour
- Stage= how far is the tumour spread, e.g tumour, more important than grade
